The Federal Aviation Administration is cracking down on Delta Air Lines, after the agency claimed the carrier failed to make or took its time making necessary repairs to two planes after inspections found damages on the aircrafts. The grand total for such infractions is close to $1 million. [More]
FAA Fines Delta Almost $1M For Flying Two Planes Without Making Necessary Repairs
By July 11, 2012
FAA Decides It’s About Time We Put Oyxgen Devices Back In Airplane Bathrooms
By June 26, 2012
You might recall that the Federal Aviation Administration ordered all emergency oxygen supplies be removed from airplane bathrooms, to deter would-be terrorists from dismantling them and starting fires. And now it’s time to get that oxygen back in the lavatories. [More]
Are Heavier Airline Passengers At Greater Risk For Harm?
By May 8, 2012
Usually when we bring up the topic of weight and air travel it involves either passenger comfort or controversial airline policies regarding “customers of size.” But some worry that outdated safety standards are actually putting people at risk while flying. [More]
FAA Scolds Passenger For Using iPad To Shoot Video Of Bird Strike
By May 2, 2012
Remember that bird strike in April that forced a Delta flight to make an emergency landing? The actual incident was caught on video by author Grant Cardone, who is now on some FAA “you’re a troublemaker” list because he shot that video when his iPad was supposed to be turned off. [More]
Federal Aviation Administration Might Let You Keep Your Kindle On
By March 19, 2012
There are those who don’t question flight attendants’ requests to shut off all electronic devices during landing and take off, and those who just don’t think a Kindle or iPad is going to disrupt the plane’s systems whatsoever. For the latter, the Federal Aviation Administration is listening — they’re reviewing the ban on personal electronic use on airplanes. [More]
Senator Calls Out Spirit Airlines For Trying To Mislead Public About Airfares
By January 26, 2012
You may recall that earlier this week, bottom-dollar carrier Spirit Airlines launched an e-mail campaign to convince customers that the new FAA regulations requiring truth in airfare advertising was really just a ruse by the federal government to hide taxes and tax hikes in airfares. Well, that didn’t go over well with Senator Barbara Boxer of California, who threw off the gloves and sent a bare-knuckles letter to Spirit in response. [More]
Consumer Groups Scold Airlines For Pocketing Tax Money During FAA Shutdown
By September 14, 2011
Surely you remember the recent FAA shutdown, during which the government couldn’t collect taxes on airfares, leading the airlines to temporarily raise their base prices and pocket an estimated $70 million a day. Now a coalition of consumer groups, including our benevolent benefactors at Consumers Union, are voicing their displeasure for this and other anti-consumer behavior. [More]
Southwest Leads Airfare Rollback Following Return Of Taxes
By August 9, 2011
Late last week, when legislators took a vacation from vacation to hammer out a deal that put FAA employees back to work and millions of tax dollars back into federal coffers, a number of you expressed skepticism about predictions that airlines would lower their fares to where they were before the FAA lost its authority to collect taxes. But it looks like all the major airlines have now rolled back their prices over the last two days. [More]
Will Airlines Roll Back Fare Hikes Now That The FAA Can Collect Taxes Again?
By August 5, 2011
Immediately after a standoff in Congress left the FAA without the authority to collect taxes on airfares, almost every major airline moved to jack up their ticket prices. But now that the shutdown has ended — at least temporarily — will the airlines respond by lowering prices to where they were before? [More]
Legislators Take Break From Vacation, Hammer Out Deal To Get FAA Back To Work
By August 4, 2011
After nearly two weeks of a partial Federal Aviation Administration shutdown that has left 4,000 employees without pay and kept millions of dollars in taxes from being collected, Democrats and Republicans have come up with some sort of deal that could get the agency back up and working as early as tomorrow. [More]
Senate Unable To End FAA Shutdown; Inspectors Working Without Pay
By August 3, 2011
Around 4,000 Federal Aviation Administration staffers remain on unpaid furlough this morning and dozens of airport inspectors have been asked to continue working without pay while their employer loses out on millions of tax dollars it lacks authority to collect, after the Senate was unable to end the stalemate behind the FAA’s partial shutdown. [More]
Delta And US Airways Will Refund "Taxes" Collected During FAA Shutdown
By August 2, 2011
Delta was the first airline to start giving out refunds for the extra money they’ve been scalping from passengers while the FAA remains shut down. After the airline made the announcement Monday, US Airways on Tuesday said they would follow suit. [More]
Airlines Not Passing On Savings Of Not Having To Pay FAA Taxes
By July 26, 2011
When Congress failed Friday to extend a bill that would have kept the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) running, they handed airlines a $25 million a day gift. Without the extension, the FAA doesn’t have the authority to collect taxes. But rather than pass on the savings, nearly all airlines actually raised fares to about the same amount as the federal taxes. Most consumers won’t notice because prices are the same, even though it’s effectively a price hike. [More]
Delta, Continental, Others Jack Up Fares After Federal Tax Takes Vacation
By July 25, 2011
As we reported last week, the inability for Congress to come to terms on a bill that would extend the FAA’s operating authority means that airlines are not currently charging federal taxes on airfares. But if you’re not seeing any difference in the final price of your ticket, that’s because most airlines have increased their fares since Saturday. [More]
Potential FAA Shutdown Could Mean Tax-Free Airfares For Travelers
By July 22, 2011
Unless Congress can hammer out their issues over extending the FAA’s operating authority by midnight tonight, 4,000 agency employees will be temporarily out of a job, but travelers will be able to but airline tickets without paying federal taxes. [More]
Air Traffic Controller Suspended For Watching Movie Instead Of Radar
By April 19, 2011
The FAA may have enacted changes intended to keep air traffic controllers from falling asleep on the job, but there is still the problem of those conscious controllers who aren’t doing the job they were hired to do — like the one in Ohio who was just exiled from the control tower for watching a movie instead of the radar screen. [More]
FAA Makes Changes To Keep Air Traffic Controllers From Falling Asleep On The Job
By April 18, 2011
Another Day, Another Air Traffic Controller Asleep On The Job
By April 14, 2011
The Air Traffic Controller Sleeping Epidemic of 2011 continues. Yet another worker responsible for keeping planes from crashing into one another has fallen asleep on the job, with the FAA investigating yet again. [More]
